No Moss
Everybody knows the story of farmer Dean's cow Marylou that died the
night of the big meteorite shower. Some of the more imaginative town's
folks began saying they thought it was outer space aliens that killed
the old bovine. This idea did hold a little water because the cow got
itself dead with only one little mark between its eyes just below where
her horns meet. The vet came into Mabel's Square Eats to get his eggs
and coffee after looking the dead cow all over real good the morning
after, then while sipping his second cup mutters loud enough for some
to overhear “not another mark anywhere on that cow”. The sheriff came
by a little after Doc left and he too mumbled around over his hot
cakes. He said pretty much the same thing, “no other marks on the cow,
no foot prints or for that matter any kind of evidence that might point
to what had killed the old girl”. Henry from over at the Pick and Bag
grocery got himself a big laugh when he asked sheriff about “burned
marks on the ground from space weapons”.
By the time everybody but the retirees left Mabel's for their run to the
post office and went on to open up their feed, shoe, and used book
stores the word had gotten around about them strangers wearing suits
checking in at the Lonesome Pine's Motel just out past the town line.
Pine's is not a bad place to stay if you don't want to sleep in your
car and have early business in town. By the time, Mabel's regulars
made it back for the Tuesday meat loaf special plate lunch the talk
about the dead cow had taken a totally different direction because
everybody says they are sure the suit guys are government men and the
cow is dead because there was some sort of weapons experiment gone all
wrong.
Mabel's diner remains abuzz with one theory after another from meat loaf
till the last slice of peach pie is served just ahead of the four
o'clock closing time. The space alien's idea makes a strong comeback
when folks hear on the TV that the whole northeast is in for yet
another night of fireworks from outer space maybe even brighter and
longer than last night. This because right at closing time Henry is
back from his grocery store and says with wide eyed excitement he
thinks the aliens used the meteorite shower to hide their space ship
landings and declares he is going to the drug store for his nerve
medicine refill and will be at home locked in before dark because if
it's a bigger show tonight the little green men will be bring in even
bigger space craft. With that, everyone that is still in the diner
just look at each other then all around as if they might have forgotten
something under their table and then as one abruptly stand up and
leave.
What no one knows or even suspects is the real cause of the cow's death
is not spacemen or evil government science but unthinking careless
youngsters.
Toby Ward and Larry Smith age twelve learned in advance about last
nights meteorite shower from science class. The talked it over and
decided the best vantage point for observation of the fiery display
would be atop the big hill up behind old man Dean's farm. Getting to
the top of the hill would not be easy because it is very high and a
steep climb over a lot of loose rock interspacing the lush night damp
grass.
The boys got a jump on the dew by leaving well before dark and taking
the longer but easier path up the wooded backside of the hill behind
the Dean farm.
Man what a show, the boys got to see one shooting star after another
blazing across the sky and at one point, there were four burning and
chasing each other at one time.
After a time, the shower slowed and then stopped completely. The boys
agreed to just hang out for a bit in the event, the fireworks restarted
but as is the case with almost all young boys, they quickly got bored.
After sitting on the pitch black hillside for less than ten long
minuets one then both started making, a few fart sounds by cupping the
palms of their hands under their arms. They stood and found their way
to the only tree on this side of the hill and made aborted attempts at
carving their names in the little trees bark. After finding, the tree
was so small in diameter that the last letters of their names began
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